Interactive simulations for teaching Interactive simulations for teaching physicsphysics

Work supported by: NSF, Hewlett Foundation, Kavli Foundation,Univ. of Colorado, me and Sarah

I havea) never heard of phet. b) heard of phet but never played with these simulations.c) played with the sims, but not used in teaching.d) used phet sims in teaching.

⇒ Physics Education Technology Project (PhET)Develop interactive simulationsResearch on simulation design and effectiveness

Goals for talkExamples of good simulations

Little about research on what makes them useful⇒ principles to keep in mind when using.

When simulations carefully tested and refined :•Highly engaging•Very effective for learning•Work with very wide range of students (“grade school to grad school”)

PhET (phet.colorado.edu)•~ 60 interactive simulations •Intro physics, modern physics, some chemistry, bit of math,starting to expand into geo and bio, …•Phet-based activities database on website--

show website, sim list, balloons and sweater, moving man, elctromag

run phet sims (all free!): • directly from web (regular browser, platform independent)• download whole website to local computer for offline use2006-- 1 Million sims launched off website;

50,000 full site downloads

Extensive development and testing process--teams (faculty, software engineers, sci. ed. specialists)

Physics faculty:Physics faculty:Michael DubsonMichael DubsonNoah FinkelsteinNoah FinkelsteinKathy Perkins (manager)Kathy Perkins (manager)Carl Wieman Carl Wieman Postdocs: Postdocs: Sam McKaganSam McKaganLinda KochLinda Koch (Chem)(Chem)Software Engineers: Software Engineers: Ron Ron LeMasterLeMasterSam ReidSam ReidChris MalleyChris MalleyMichael Dubson Michael Dubson Grad students:Grad students:Wendy AdamsWendy AdamsDanielle HarlowDanielle HarlowChris KellerChris KellerNoah Noah PodolefskyPodolefsky

HS Teacher:HS Teacher:Trish LoebleinTrish Loeblein

~6 full time equivalentsStaff: Staff: Mindy Mindy GratnyGratny,, Linda Linda WellmannWellmann

Phet Staff

• Engaging and productively fun(interface design, appearance, …) • Connection to real world • Highly interactive- stuff happening, user controls• Explicit visual & conceptual models (experts’)• Explore and discover, with productive constraints• Connect multiple representations

K.K. Perkins, et al, “PhET: Interactive Simulations for Teaching and Learning Physics”,Physics Teacher (Jan 2006)

Design Features and Criteria

Most important element--testing with students

1. Think aloud interviews(~200 hours)

Explore with guiding question

2. Observations of use in lecture, recitation and lab,homework solving sessions.

very revealing

Experts- - really like.

Students--Watch without interacting. Don’t like. Misinterpret.

Example- of what revealed by interviewstudies.

Radio waves.Initial startup.

Start with curve view, manually move electron.Very different result. Later move to full field view, manipulate, like, and understand.

Correctly interpret.

Why do you think starting this way works so much better? briefly discuss with neighbors, then will collect ideas

Why starting this way worksso much better?(talk with each other)

Matches research on learning.•Cognitive demand. Novices don’t know what to focus on.treat everything equally important. Much more than short-term working memory can handle, overwhelming• Construction of understanding.

Why starting this way worksso much better?

Other important features:Visual model-electrons in transmitting and receiving antennas,

display of wavesInteractivity

Example illustrates important principle:students think and perceive differently from experts

Good teaching is presenting material so novice students learn from it, not so looks good to experts!

Violated by most simulations (and many lecture demonstrations, figures in texts,…)

PhET sims almost never right the first time. Test and modify to get right.

1. Think aloud interviews(~200 hours)

Explore with guiding question

General results from student interviews*

a. Surprisingly consistent responses, particularly on interface.b. Vocabulary very serious hindrance to learning anddiscussion-- see because simulation removesc. Animation ⇒attention, but not thinking. Interactivity⇒ thinking & learning.

W. K. Adams, et al. , A Study of Educational Simulations Part I - Engagement and Learning., A Study of Educational Simulations Part II - Interface Design.,

Interesting results from interview studies* (cont.)

d. the good, the bad, and the evil simGood sim is extremely effective for wide range of students: understand difficult concepts, can explain & apply to real world situations.

Bad sim- very little learned.Awkward distracting interface, boring, confusing.

EVIL SIM--EFFECTIVE AT TEACHING WRONG THINGS!

e. Student testing critical! Interviews always reveal undesired perceptions or distractions in first versions!

• Intuitive interactivity vital• Controls Intuitive when most like hand action

– Grab-able Objects– Click and Drag– Sliders to change numeric values

• Representations– Cartoon-like features ⇒ scale distortion OK– Good at connecting multiple representations, but

proximity and color coding helps (energy sktprk)

f. A few important interface characteristics*

*more than want to know in Adams et al. papers

Simulation testing microcosm of education research

Routinely see examples of principles established invery different contexts.

•cognitive load•construction of understanding•build on prior knowledge•connections to real world•exploration and deep understanding ⇒ transfer•motivation--factors affecting and connections to learning•perceptions based on organizational structures, structures change and develop, changes perception.•…

Pre-class or pre-lab Activity

Lecture/classroomVisual Aids, Interactive Lecture Demos, & Concept tests

Labs/Recitations Group activities

Homework

bits of examples of effectiveness in different settings

Sims useful in variety of settings

Need some structure--activities database

Lecture – Interactive Lecture Demos

Demo 4: Sketch position vs time and velocity vs time graphs for when Moving Man: walks steadily towards the tree for 6 seconds,then stands still for 6 seconds, and then towards the house twice as fast as before for 6 seconds.

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1. When the string is in position B, instantaneously flat, the velocity of points of the string is...A: zero everywhere. B: positive everywhere.C: negative everywhere. D: depends on the position.

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snapshots at different times.

Wave-on-string sim vs Tygon tube demo

2. At position C, the velocity of points of the string is...A: zero everywhere. B: positive everywhere.C: negative everywhere. D: depends on the position.

Correct :2002 demo: 27%2003 sim: 71%

Correct :2002 demo: 23 %2003 sim: 84%

Follow-up Concept Tests:

Lecture (Non-science Majors Course)

Standing waves-- Sim vs. Demonstration

show wave on string

What features make the difference?

Features that make a difference-experts hardly notice, BIG difference for novices

1. Green beads on string that show moves up and down,not sideways.

2. Speed set so novice brain can absorb and makesense of it. (“curse of knowledge”)

3. Can do controlled changes, most in response to studentrequests. Sort out what makes a difference and why.

What else does simulation provide over usual figure and explanation in lecture or textbook?

1. see direct cause and effect relations

2. explicit visual modelsexample-electromagnet, friction, gas, cck

N D. Finkelstein, et al, “When learning about the real world is better done virtually: a study of substituting computer simulations for laboratory equipment,” PhysRev: ST PER 010103 (Sept 2005)

DC C irc tuis Exam Questions

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DC Circuit Final Exam Questions

Standard Laboratory (Alg-based Physics, single 2 hours lab):

Simulation vs. Real Equipment

show cck

many other examples of power of visual models

all of quantum! (S. McKagan)

quantum wave interferencelasersStern-GerlachMRItunneling…

major impact on student thinking

Integrating a sim on a topic (Lect. & HW)(Photoelectric Effect in Modern Physics) (S. McKagan, to be pub.)

36408575UW w/ PT26204065UW w/o PTNQ3Q2Q1Course

% Correct

Univ. of Wash.: • Student learning of photoelectric effect deficient• Developed & used Photoelectric Tutor (PT)

Exam Q: What would happen to current reading if you:Q1: Changed metal. Why?Q2: Double intensity of light. Why?Q3: Increased ∆V across electrodes. Why?

CU: Incorporated sim

94777890CU Fa06182848886CU Sp06189858791CU Fa05

show photoelectric effect

Lasers homework

Students work through sim, figure out:• how to build a laser• how to fix it if it breaks• why population inversion necessary• why need 3 energy levels instead of 2

*Homework available from PhET activities database

Conclusions:Interactive simulations powerful new technology for learning science. But not automatically good.

phet.colorado.edu